A Room with a View
by agrainne24
Summary: My take on the season 4 deleted scene "New York, 1901." What happened to make Nikola want answers in Helen's office that evening?


**A/N: This is for Christelle, who has waited very patiently for this story. I hope you like it Xo**

**A Room with a View**

**Somewhere in Nepal, 1902**

Helen was growing tired of waiting for the time to be right to re-emerge from her seclusion on the mountain top in Nepal.

As glorious as the vistas were from her vantage point Helen needed an occupation before she was driven mad with loneliness and boredom. Her hair colour had gradually returned to its natural blonde and Helen had taken to putting it in rags every night to achieve the curl in her hair she had had in her younger days.

No matter how many times she had looked in the mirror in the past few days, it was still a shock to see her hair in its natural form once again. She even carried herself differently; she noted with an amused smile, it was amazing what a starched blouse could do for one's posture.

She sincerely hoped it was enough to fool Nikola into thinking she was the Helen of nineteenth century London, not the twenty-first century woman she was now. How to entice him into her plan? She needed to set the chain of events in motion if for nothing but her sanity! The promise of wine (and her company though she didn't dwell too much on that because she realised she missed him terribly) was always a good start when wanting to placate Nikola.

Settling herself on the veranda outside she set about composing a note to Nikola whom she knew was in Long Island, New York presently in that new tower he had built on the back of J P Morgan's money. _Now how would I have written a note like this back in my younger days? How surreal is it that I am now living in 1902 with a twenty first century brain wondering how I would formally have written notes?! _It would have to be brief she decided, firstly because she didn't want Nikola to get suspicious and secondly she knew the briefer the note the more intrigued Nikola would become and she had more of a chance of him agreeing to this venture.

Nikola,

I do apologise for not asking this of you in person but I have urgent business at present and it cannot be delayed. However, I do wish to propose an adventure to you if you are willing. Meet me in Lima, Peru at the Hotel Miraflores on February 1st next and I shall explain everything.

Yours,

Helen

Postscript: There will be a very expensive bottle of Chateau Margaux in it for you; say you will join me in this quest for old time's sake. H _x._

Pleased with her work Helen looked over the note one more time. She cringed at the formality in the language but it could not be helped, the times called for it.

Now all that was needed was to buy her passage on the next available sailing to South America in time to meet Nikola in February. That would give her plenty of time to brush up on the etiquette of the time. She needed desperately to pull this off because one little slip could mean changing history and however tempting it was to do just that (she could think of one or two incidences she'd like to change), in the grand scheme of things, changing history was not Helen's top priority.

Finding the arterial pathway to Hollow Earth was of the utmost importance if she was to get the ball rolling on her future plans. Much needed to be put in place before she could return to her own time and she had plenty of that.

ooOoo

**Hotel Miraflores, Lima**

Helen was speaking with the concierge of the hotel about her reservation for the evening when she heard a voice very familiar to her echo around the lobby, turning she smiled in greeting.

"Nikola, how wonderful it is to see you!"

"Helen, you're looking radiant as ever! Now tell me why all the secrecy?"

"Everything will become clear later I promise, Nikola. But first can I not visit with an old friend before we get down to business as it were?"

"Fine, I'll play along. Since you won't divulge your secrets to me just yet, what say you to a little sightseeing?"

"That would be delightful, Nikola."

Helen inwardly cringed fully convinced as she was that she wasn't fooling Nikola with her act in the slightest. As they set off in search of the city's impressive historical sites, Helen entwined her arm with Nikola's and if she saw the look of surprise on his face she didn't acknowledge it. She knew it was a little out of character, usually he was the one to initiate contact but it had been four years since she'd seen him and she missed him dearly. One slip was allowed, wasn't it?

While Helen was having this internal battle with herself she failed to see that Nikola was observing her closely. Something was not quite right with Helen. She seemed so preoccupied and almost withdrawn. She was hiding something from him, he couldn't put his finger on what it was yet but he was certain that by nightfall he might have solved this puzzle. But she was Helen Magnus – enigma of the highest order so he may not have the greatest of successes but he was damn well going to try.

ooOoo

After a day of traipsing around Lima sightseeing with Nikola, Helen was loathe to admit she was exhausted. She had forgotten how enthusiastic Nikola had been about learning about the world and all it had to offer when they were young, that was until life experiences and people intervened and Nikola became weary and cynical. All Helen wanted now was to have a long soak in the bath.

"I'll be out in a few minutes, Nikola. While you are waiting why don't you have a look around and help yourself to a glass of wine?"

"Thank you, Helen I believe I shall."

While Helen was drawing her bath she took the time to compose herself and to figure out what she was going to say to Nikola. Being with him and not being able to be herself as she was now was harder than she thought it would be and it hurt. She missed him so much. She missed his smile and the way he would just have to say one word to exasperate her. She missed the banter he was so fond of having with her and she missed the ease of their relationship. After years of friendship they'd slipped easily into something more after a little reluctance on her part but wait had been worth all the hardship. She wanted so much to confide her plan to him but she knew it was risky. _No, a little white lie now may hurt him if he found out but she knew in the long run he would understand the stakes._

When Helen came out of the bathroom she found Nikola standing by the bay window admiring the view. As he spotted her he raised his wineglass and saluted her.

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'

"Shaw? Does this mean you're agreeing before I tell you of the venture, Nikola?"

"Yes to both questions. You know Helen that I would follow you into Hell if you asked it of me and the offer of good wine was also a fine incentive! I was just reminding of the job that you do because it seemed as if you were faltering there for a while. You could always see the good and the bad in the world and not be jaded by it. It's a quality I've always admired in you."

"Shall we sit down to dinner now and I will tell you all."

"You want to know what the controlled use of nitro-glycerine will do to a multi-headed shark in an underground cavern. Blow it to smithereens is my educated guess, Helen."

"Oh very funny Nikola! I want to use it to capture the shark."

"I gathered that much. I just wanted to see you smile. I've missed your smile since I came to Lima."

"Charming. If you are curious enough to ask that question I am assuming you are agreeing to do it. Tell me about your work in New York, Nikola. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?"

Helen looked on fondly as Nikola told her all about his attempts to make the radio tower operational. How wonderful it was to see Nikola so animated, it had been a long time since he was this passionate about a project and it broke her heart to know she couldn't warn him that it would not work out the way he'd envisioned. The more Nikola spoke the more Helen fell back into memories of moments such as this, moments that were a lot more intimate. There were also moments that she treasured that would not happen for decades yet and her loneliness hit her anew. How was she going to make herself leave him once they had captured the shark and she got what she came for? It felt like she was leaving a part of her heart with Nikola and she closed her eyes in a silent prayer that the years would pass a little faster.

"…at the radio tower, Helen. Helen?"

"What? Oh forgive me Nikola, my mind was elsewhere. What was it you were saying?"

Nikola looked at her curiously but thought it wise not to say anything. Helen would tell him in her own time what was wrong. If he knew her at all it would not be long before she betrayed what, if anything, she was feeling.

"It was nothing of consequence, Helen. Never mind."

"I reserved the room next to mine for your use, Nikola. I think it's time we said goodnight as we have an early start in the morning."

As they walked to the door Helen couldn't help the lone tear that escaped down her cheek. This was to be the last time she and Nikola would be completely alone and she didn't want to do something that jeopardise her goal even if she was sorely tempted. So instead she left him perplexed at the door and kissed him on the cheek, lingering just a moment too long.

"Goodnight, Nikola."

To him she knew it sounded exactly as she said it but to her ears it sounded awfully like goodbye.

**A/N 2: The quote that Nikola uses is by George Bernard Shaw and the title of this story is not an imaginative one, I grant you but I hope that E. M. Forster won't mind ;)**


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